At age 40, the question of LeBron James’ retirement lingers around James’ own head more than his fans. While he hasn’t decided when he plans to retire, the Lakers organization has given him all the freedom to decide how he goes out and whether he wants to retire as a Lakers player.
We read reports earlier today that James was expecting an extension from the Lakers earlier this summer, but the lack of offers compelled him to pick up his $52.6 million player option. The same source also claimed that James plans to retire like Kobe Bryant and avoid doing what Michael Jordan did.
Yaron Weitzman, an NBA writer with Bleacher Report, spoke to multiple executives across the league who are close to James as well. They spoke about the value of narratives to James and how he wants to avoid having a silent retirement like Michael Jordan did with the Wizards, and expects a farewell tour like Kobe Bryant.
“We know LeBron wants to win, we know he wants to get paid, and we know he wants to be the sun around which everything else orbits.”
“I spent three years writing a book on LeBron and the Lakers. Everyone I spoke to during that process believed that when LeBron eventually decides to retire, he will do so with an elaborate farewell tour, similar to Kobe Bryant’s,” wrote Weitzman.
Kobe Bryant had announced before the 2015-16 season that it would be his last season in the league. Thus, every team got a chance to honor and celebrate his legacy when he played against them for the final time.
‘The problem is that he’s put himself in a situation where it’s impossible for him to get everything he wants,’ the executive said. ‘He has no leverage here, and he’s not used to that,'” Weitzman further added in his report.
Weitzman then went on to ponder the only teams where James could get the Farewell Tour he deserves and desires. He felt that the Cleveland Cavaliers were the only other team beyond the Lakers that could give James a farewell tour.
“If he wants to do a farewell tour like Kobe did, it’s the only other team that makes sense,” said a different league executive. “LeBron cares about narratives. He doesn’t want to be like Michael Jordan on the Wizards.”
Michael Jordan is one of the rare players who got to retire three times from the NBA. The first time was due to his desire to play baseball, and the second time was due to physical and mental exhaustion. The third time was when he played an insignificant role on the Wizards and had to silently retire in April 2003.
James reportedly wants to avoid that and is hence likely not joining a team where he doesn’t have any history. The Miami Heat could’ve been a potential option if his exit from the Heat was not as strained as it ended up being. Therefore, we are likely going to see a farewell tour with the Lakers or Cavaliers when James decides to retire.
James has averaged 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, winning four NBA championships in the 22 seasons he has played in his career, while shooting 50.6% from the field. Having already made it to the Hall of Fame, James is almost certainly going to be individually inducted as well.
Such a career deserves a farewell tour of the same stature as Kobe Bryant and not a silent retirement like Jordan’s final one. But it will be interesting to see if he retires with the Lakers or goes back to the Cavaliers after becoming a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.
